Ayr Raid Needed For Safety

For a' that and a' that (in the words of Rabbie Burns) boys must become men on Saturday if Cowdenbeath's young side hope to take anything from Somerset Park and keep their hopes of avoiding the relegation play-offs alive. Three points for Ayr on the other hand on Saturday will surely keep them in Division 2 for another season.

A miserable midweek for the Fifers was completed on Wednesday night when their opponents this Saturday won against the odds at Championship chasing Airdrie Utd 24 hours after one of 'Beath's worst performances of the season as they lost 2-4 at home against another relegation candidate Queens Park. A fifth straight home defeat for the self-styled Blue Brazil also saw a 10th goal conceded in three league games and things will look even bleaker for the Central Park club on Saturday night if they return home with nothing from their trip to Ayr, the last team they beat at Central Park (Jan 5th, 2-0).

Cowden Assistant Manager Danny Lennon said after Wednesday's defeat by QP: "Our bigger players know they they have let the club down in our last two matches against Berwick and Queens Park and it is simply a case of demanding more on Saturday because we are running out of fixtures now. We have three of the current top four in Division 2 to play in the run-in and we are now at the time of the season when survival is in our own hands. We can now no longer rely on other teams doing us a favour."

Ayr United took control on Wednesday to hand themselves a league lifeline but they have not beaten Cowden in three attempts this season losing 2-0 and drawing 1-1 in Fife and going down 1-4 the last time The Blue Brazil visited Somerset Park.

The crumbling ruin that is Central Park seems to be having an adverse affect on the Cowden class of 2008 and the Fifers seem to do be doing better on the road since the turn of the year but a draw at Ayr on Saturday will give 'Beath the same away league form as their home league form this season W4 D3 L8. The Fifers have scored more goals on the road this season overall in their Division 2 campaign and with 9 goals featuring in their last away game (and win) at Berwick (4-5) it could be Somerset for scores on Saturday with both sides looking to keep their hopes of escaping the basement of Scottish football alive.